Bev & Mike comment on a furniture, fabrics and accessories of interest to interior designers and their clients in Portland, Oregon.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

How to Choose Paint Colors to Complement Furniture

Most people already own furniture before deciding to paint and repaint. Choosing a color that complements the furniture you already have only makes sense. Knowing how to choose the right color, texture and pattern of paint can be quite a challenge, though.

Complementary Color Matching

The first step to choosing color for your home should be to find a family of colors that complement your furniture colors. If you’re lucky enough to have neutral colors for your furniture, such as tan, white or black, then you can choose almost any color scheme.

For everyone else, you’ll want to visit your local paint store and choose some sample color strips in a variety of choices. Find one that is as close to the color of your furniture as possible. Now, turn to a color wheel to find complementary colors.

If you have an accent chair or pillow in the room, choose one of the minor, lighter colors in the pattern to paint your walls. The best colors will be directly across from and in the same row as your color. Remember that you want contrast. Everything shouldn’t match exactly or your room will look flat.

Opposites Attract

If you have darker furniture, brighten up the room by adding lighter or “happier” paints. However, there are a few neutral dark colors that don’t dampen a room’s ambience when there is dark furniture as well. Grey is a versatile paint color that coordinates well with many hues and adapts to different lighting.

Choosing an adaptable paint color for your walls makes it easier to change your furniture whenever the need (or want) arises. You can still add personality to your room with splashes of color through throws and pillows.

When and Where to Use an Accent Wall

Is there a wall in your home that you want to draw attention to?

Make sure the color you choose doesn’t clash with any art or furniture on that wall.

This is also a good opportunity to use more than one paint color and add glossy stripes in the same color, texture, sponge painting or other specialized techniques.

In a larger room, it can be tempting to add a lot of special details, such as a textured wall. However, this can be quite time consuming on a large wall. Instead, consider adding these details to just a small area, such as over a fireplace.

·If your furniture is antique, stay away from geometric patterns and modern designs.

Keep Your Lifestyle in Mind

Ultimately, the paint you choose has to fit in with your everyday life. For example, it probably isn’t a wise decision to choose paint that doesn’t wash easily if you have small children. Maybe you even want to consider using chalkboard paint for kid’s room walls.

Consider all the factors involved in making your house look great, including using multiple textures, complementary colors and adding detail to draw attention. If you take your time and choose based on all these elements, you’ll have freshly painted walls that you’ll enjoy for years to come.

BIO: James works in construction and blogs in his free time at Homey Improvements. He also enjoys hiking, photography, and buying new gadgets. Follow him on Twitter @DIYfolks.